Evaluation of GMP+ BCN-NL1 Antibiotics-free feed

Last week the International Expert Committee evaluated the Country Note GMP+ BCN-NL1 Antibiotics-free Feed. Here is a an outcome of this evaluation.

In July 2011 the first version of the Country Note was published. In this Country Note requirements for the production of antibiotics-free feed are stated. This Country Note can be certified additionally to a GMP+ certificate (or equivalent) with the scope production of feed. With this certificate, the feed producer can show that its production process is free of antibiotics. In January 2013, 65 companies were certified.

Conclusion of the evaluationIt is just to say that the Country Note realizes the set goal; certified feed producers are no longer using antibiotics in their production processes. The focus (and media attention) of the use of antibiotics in the livestock sector is no longer on feed producers.

Change in sampling and analysis regimeBecause of the good results on sampling & analysis and the fact that most of the certified companies stopped using antibiotics more than one year ago, the International Expert Committee approved a change in the sampling and analysis regime.

New sampling and analysis regime:

Annual production

Nr. of samples year 1

Nr. of samples year 2 (and further)

Less than 25.000 tons

2

1

25.000 to 50.000 tons

3

1

More than 50.000 tons

4

1

his new regime results into a lowering of the number of analysis the longer a GMP+ participant has been certified for the Country Note. After a first positive year of certification (all analysis results comply with GMP+ BA1 and the requirements from GMP+ BCN-NL1 are met), the number of samples is reduced to 1 sample a year. This is the absolute minimum to assess whether the company uses antibiotics.

This new regime will be implemented as from 1-1-2013. Year 1 will be referred to as the first full calendar year of certification (starting from 1-1-20xx). For example if a company started GMP+ certification in July 2012, year 1 will be the year 2013.

If a company (for some reason) starts certification again after a period of not being certified, the company starts again in the monitoring regime of year 1.

Note 1: Due to the change in the sampling regime, the costs per sample have to be evaluated and possibly changed. Note 2: As an exception during the implementation of this new regime, also the samples taken in 2011 will be taken into account. GMP+ participants with compliant analysis results in 2011 will start year 1 in 2012 and year 2 in 2013.

The above change will be implemented in the GMP+ BCN-NL1 as soon as possible